How to write a newspaper article

Components of a newspaper article

The newspaper article generally consists of the following main parts:

• AddressThe title of the article, or what is called the header, must be taken into account, so that it attracts the reader’s attention and is indicative of the content. The title is followed in the second line by the name of the writer.
• Opening introductionIt is the first paragraph in the article, and it must include the details and basic information of the article in a summarized manner, so that it determines the reader’s desire to continue reading the article or be satisfied with the amount of details he obtained.
• the story: The story of the article follows what was presented in the opening introduction. This part includes all the facts learned as a result of the research he conducted on the subject, in addition to presenting the opinions obtained as a result of personal interviews, taking full care to avoid including personal opinions in the article.

Steps to write a newspaper article

Search for the topic of the newspaper article

The individual must search extensively for information related to the subject of the newspaper article; Because writing a good article requires that a person have abundant information about the topic; The individual must be aware of the following information:

• The character or characters related to the topic of the article.
• The events that occurred, which are related to the topic of the article.
• Place, reason, and date of events.
• How events unfold.

Conduct interviews if necessary

Writing a newspaper article may require interviewing those directly related to the event; The acquired information affects the credibility of the article, and people often like to talk about their personal experiences. To conduct interviews, a person must follow the following steps:

• Prepare a list of questions that will be asked in interviews.
• Communicate with the person you want to meet, through email, phone, or social media.
• Follow certain rules when a journalist interviews a specific person; The first step is for the person to introduce himself as a journalist, and he must be a neutral party and possess the skill of listening.
• Develop a writing plan after completing the interviews, collecting the appropriate information, and writing the initial draft. This draft can be changed and rearranged as needed. The information provided during the interview can also be collected through audio recording and then written later.
• Delete excess words and sentences, and weak sentences, from the draft after reviewing it.
• Finish the work by copying what was written, checking the grammar, language, punctuation marks, and general form of the article, then submit the article to the editor before the specified date.

Writing the introduction to the newspaper article

The introduction is the first paragraph in a newspaper article, and it should provide the reader with a detailed overview of the entire story. It provides a summary of the story, and also includes a narration of the basic facts of the event. In addition, the introduction helps the reader determine whether he wants to continue reading the story, or if he is satisfied with the information presented in the introduction. Therefore, the introduction must be attractive to its readers.

Writing a newspaper article presentation

The presentation of the article must contain the facts collected by the person during the research process and through personal interviews, so that the article may not contain the writer’s personal opinions. Events must also be listed in a specific chronological order, and it must be taken into account that it is preferable to place the most important information. In the first paragraphs, then support them with relevant facts or information.

Writing the conclusion of the newspaper article

The writer must ensure that the newspaper article is complete, and conclude it with a good concluding sentence. The conclusion often includes restating basic information, or indicating possible future developments related to the subject of the article. The conclusion also includes providing readers with information about who to contact to obtain more information about the article. This topic, knowing that some institutions include this information at the top of the newspaper article, and after placing the contact information, the following symbols (###) must be included to indicate to the reader that the newspaper article has finished.

Things to consider when writing a newspaper article

There are several things that must be followed to write a successful newspaper article, including the following:

• Try to include as much information as possible to answer the questions of where, what, why, when, and how in the opening paragraph, and include the elements of time, place, and people as much as possible.
• Encourage the inclusion of basic and important information at the beginning of the article, and not delay it until the end.
• Make sure the sentences are short and related to the topic.
• Consider using the active voice, and avoid using the passive voice.
• Putting a large portion of important news at the forefront.
• Avoid writing conclusions and personal opinions, and leave this task to the readers.
• Use quick methods to deliver information.
• Writing the article in a way that allows the reader to stop reading when he obtains the information he needs.
• Not including a list of sources and references at the end of the article.